GAO Gets “Clean Opinion” on Agency’s Quality Controls

October 31, 2011

An international peer review team has given the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) a "clean opinion" on the quality assurance system GAO uses to conduct performance and financial audits. The review states that the GAO reports it examined "were of very high quality, where the strengths of GAO were paramount in providing Congress and the public with reliable information."The review team cited a number of exemplary practices at GAO, as well as a strong corporate culture that supports quality, as contributing to GAO's effectiveness in improving government operations. The review team also made several suggestions for GAO to consider as it continues to enhance its quality assurance system.

"On behalf of the professional and dedicated staff at GAO, I am pleased that this international peer review team concluded that Congress and the American people can have confidence that our work is independent, objective, and reliable," said Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States and head of the GAO. "This report confirms that policymakers and the public can rely on the facts and analyses presented in GAO studies," Dodaro added.

This is the third consecutive clean opinion GAO has received from an international peer review team. GAO is required to undergo an independent external assessment of its quality assurance systems every three years.